Carlene’s behavior throughout the novel so far has been mysterious—she seems warm and social, and yet she also acts unpredictably, seemingly avoiding social situations. At this point in the story, Monty has barely even appeared as a character himself, and so it’s still unclear to what extent Howard’s inflated ideas about Monty are true or exaggerated. Certainly, Claire seems interested in Monty and his career, suggesting that his success is genuine—and that Howard’s animosity toward Monty is personal and biased.